Cigarette paper booklet



June 20, 1944. H. H. STRAUS 2,351,643

Filed Sept. 30, 1941 l (T16 l muznv 1i. smws` I I nvcntor Gtorn opened.

Patented June 20, 1944 CIGARETTE PAPER BOKLET Harry H. Straus, Asheville, N. C., assignor to Champagne Paper Corporation, a corporation of North Carolina Application September 30, 1941, Serial No. 412,950

(Cl. 20G-57) 4 Claims.

` My invention relates to cigarette 'paper booklets and more particularly to improvements in the type of booklet disclosed in Vmy Patent 2,087,786 issued July 20, 1937.

'I'he booklet covered by this prior' patent comprises a single unitary cover made of relatively thick paper having a front and back portion and an integral backbone or hinge portion which permits easy opening and shutting of the booklet. Within the cover is arranged a stack of cigarette papers adhesively fastened to the inner surface of the backbone o-r hinge .portion so as to hold the papers in proper superimposed position and to permit easy removal 'of the'papers in seriatim without disturbing the remaining leaves of the stack. j

This booklet is provided with a closure means in the form of a rubber or elastic band anchored to either the top or bottom portion of the cover and adapted upon stretching to extend around the periphery of the outer cover and hold the booklet in proper closed position so as to .protect the enclosed stack of cigarette papers. The enclosing elastic band is easily manipulated in conventional manner When it is desired to open or close the booklet and the attachment of the band to the booklet cover prevents the band from falling or becoming lost when` the booklet is In the usual case, the elastic band is attached near the open ledge of the booklet cover, that is, the edge opposite the backbone portion, so as to permit easy removal of the band from the booklet cover when it is desired to open the same for removal of one or more of the cigarette papers.

At the same time, however, this positioning of theband near the edge of the cover makes it susceptible to accidental slipping or other movement over the open edge of the booklet thereby permitting the booklet to open up when it is being carried in the smokers pocket. In advertent openingv of the booklet in this manner will result in disarrangement or crumpling of the cigarette paper sheets or other adverse effects.

This failure of the elastic band to'perform its desired function, that is, to remain encircled around the booklet cover near the open edge thereof, increases somewhat with the age of the rubberl band and with constant use. f Either extensive use or duration ottime `vvill cause the band to lose an appreciable amount of` the original resiliency. This will result in a loose t of the band around the booklet cover and render it susceptible to accidental removal from the booklet at undesired times.

In accordance with my invention I have conceived and developed on a commercial scale a satisfactory solution to this problem of maintaining the rubber band or other closure means in proper desired position around the booklet cover near the open edges thereof. I have discovered that by placing' suitably shaped notches at the ends of the booklet cover near the open corners and in line with the desired encirclement of the booklet by the rubber band, that the band Will be held in these notches, even after ageing of the band, and thereby prevent accidental removal of the band and opening of the booklet.

While some advantages may be gained from various forms of notches as compared With no notches at all, I have found that the shape and formation of the notches is critical from the standpoint of practical use of the same on cigarette paper booklets. Such booklets are sold in tremendous quantities and are used by large numbers of smokers Whose use Would not permit any means that would render the use of the booklet difficult or require any special skill beyond that normally employed by smokers in the opening and closing of cigarette paper booklets. In the usual case this manipulation is performed substantially mechanically by the smoker Without any concerted eifort or concentration.

In developing the type of notch that I have finally obtained and which gives optimum results and avoids any practical `difficulties in the usefulness of this improved booklet, I have tried various forms and shapes of notches. For example, the common U-shaped notch Will function to hold the rubber band in place around the booklet cover but it is impractical of commercial use since it proves too diicult to locate the rubber band in this notch easily and even more difiicult to remove the rubber band from the notch when it is desired to open the booklet. The principal reason for this is that the straight; practically parallel, side Walls of the notch prevent` easy slipping of the band into and out of the notch.

The desired form of'notch I have found has to be triangular or V-shaped; that is, a notch having gently sloping side surfaces Which will permit the rubber band to slide into the notch easily and also will afford a secure nesting place for the band. Even this form of notch has definite precise requirements as to degree of angularity. More specifically, if the notch is cut with too large an angle the rubber band will be too easily displaced from the notch andfrequent accidental and-undesired opening of the booklet would occur. The optimum form of notch which has resulted from-my research is indicated in the accompanying drawing to which attention is now directed and in which:

Fig. 1 is aperspective vieW` of the cigarette paper'booklet'in closed position; 5`

Fig. `2 is a perspective view of the cigarette paper booklet opened for use, and fshowin'gthe enclosure band in a pendant position; and,

Fig, 3 is a plan view of a blank for forming the booklet cover.

Referring now more in detail to the several figures in the drawing and generally in the order in which they are represented, the booklet of my invention as shown'in this illustrative but nonlimiting embodiment comprises an outer booklet cover indicated generally by the reference nu.

meral I li. This cover is comprised of afront or obverse portion I I and a back or reverse portion I2 which are hingedly and integrally joined together by means of a backbone portion I3.

The booklet, as shown in Fig, l, is held in closed position by means of a rubber band I4 which is attached to the reverse cover memberv I2 (or to the top cover member II as desired) and which engages notches I t formed in the two ends of the booklet. These notches are located conveniently adjacent the open side edges l? of the booklet. The rubber band has an extension piece l''for easy manipulation of the band.

The distance between the open side' of the booklet (defined by the edges Il) 'and the notches I6 is indicated at I'S. In actual 'practice this distance is only aboutl; to 578 of an inch so as to permit easy .removal of the band for opening of the booklet. At the' same time it creates the necessity of maintaining the band in secure position in the notches I6 `to prevent accidental removal therefrom when the booklet is being carried in the smokers pocket.

As shown more clearily in Fig. 2 the outer booklet cover houses a stack of cigarette paper leaves I9 which are adhesively fastened to the inner surface of the backbone 20. These papers are not otherwise fastened to the cover and are therefore easily removable one at a vtime from Y- the cover as desired in a manner conventional to cirgarette smokers. It will be noted that Ythe notches I6 extend through 'the entire thickness of the cover I `but are not formed in .the papers Ill. vThe rubber band `Ill in this specific modication is attached to the reverse side of the -booklet cover as indicated at 2l in Fig. 2. 'This Vattachment may be effected by means of Va metal staple or Aany other suitable means.

`Avblank of .the thick paper or similar material which is advantageously used for forming the cigarette booklet cover is shown generally in Fig. 3; and as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 any desired trade-marking, trade indicia or other descriptive matter vmay be printed directly upon the booklet paper thereby avoiding the necessity of applying labels, etc. The booklet cover -as Vindicated in Fig. 3 is formed advantageously from a single blank or sheet of paper; which is preferably compressed and scored along the ysection indicated lat 22 so as to adapt it for reception of the stack of cigarette papers.

Adjacent each corner of this booklet `cover blank is formedone` of the notches shown at IB. As above'mentioned, therangle of formation of these notches is critical and importantfor desired future manipulation of the rubber band held 'by thesev notches. `I have `found that these notches should be vformed with an vangle which should not be substantiallyflessV than about 60 and not greaterthanabout 120. -In comme cial use, I have found thata notch having an angle of about 90 to 100 and preferably the latter produces all around bestwresults. A notch having such an :angle permits `.easy insertion of the rubber band which fencircles the booklet 'and likewise .easy 'removal of the rubber -band -When it is desired toopen the booklet; but 'at the same CTA time prevents accidental dislocation of the rubber band when the booklet is carried in the smokers pocket or otherwise handled.

Various modifications and changes may be made in the materials and method of manufac- 'ture described above without departing from the .scope Vof my invention, some of the novel feajtures of which are defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A cigarette paper booklet comprising a rectangular, relatively stiff, paper cover folded along a center line to form a exible backbone portion and juxtaposed obverse and reverse cover portions to enclose a `stack of cigarette vpapers one vedgeof which isV attached to the inner surface of said backbone and the other vthree edges exposed as in a regular printed book, an endless flexible band `permanently attached to one cover portion near the edge Hremote from said backbone and adapted to encircle the booklet cover adjacent said 'last'mentioned edge, and oppositely positioned V-shaped notches of similar size and angularity "formed in the side edges of .said cover near 'the open corners of the booklet remote from said backbone, said notches being of su'iiicent depth and having sharply defined, converging, angular :faces that permit easy, manual insertion of said band therein but require positive, manual removal thereof to open the booklet and give access to said cigarette papers and also prohibit inadvertent slipping of the band out of said notches and opening of the booklet when the booklet is being carried in the cigarette smokers pocket.

2. A cigarette paper booklet as dened in claim l in which said notches have an angle of about to 100.

3. A cigarette paper booklet as dened in claim l, in which the endless, 4exible band is a rubber band.

4'. A cigarettepaper booklet comprising a rectangular, relatively stiff, paper cover scored along a center line to form a flexible backbone portion and juxtaposed obverse and reverse cover portions adapted to accommodate a stack of cigarette papers between said cover portions, said backbone portion Vbeing of a Width that corresponds substantially with the thickness of said stack of cigarette papers and said cover portions having a length and width corresponding substantially to the length and width of said stack of cigarette papers, vsaid paper cover when folded along 'said scored backbone portion forming said booklet cover in regular rectangular printed bock form, oppositely positioned V-shaped notches of similar size'and angularity formed in the side edges of said cover near the open corners of the booklet remote from said backbone, a flexible band of suitable length and width to encircle said booklet when in folded form and nest itself Within said V-shaped notches, Vsaid notches being of -sufcient depth and having sharply defined, converging, angular faces that permit easy, manual insertion of said band therein but require positive, manualremoval thereof to -open the booklet and vgive access to said cigarette .papers and also Yprohibit inadvertent slipping of the band out of said notches and opening of the booklet when the booklet is being carried in the cigarette Ksmokers pocket.

HARRY H. STRAUS. 

